The invention is directed to a new process for the production of compounds, some new and some old, which are N-substituted .alpha.-ketocarboxylic acid amides of the formula ##STR3## It is known that these amides can be produced by the addition of acid chlorides to the highly toxic and exceptionally nauseating smelling isonitriles with formation of carbamic acid chlorides and hydrolysis to the ketocarboxylic acid amides. This process produces, for example, for pivaloyl chloride and t-butyl isocyanide no significant yields (I. Ugi, V. Fetzer, Chem. Ber., Volume 94, pages 1116-1121 (1961)).
It is further known that such amides can be produced by the oxidation of the corresponding hydroxyamide with expensive and toxic heavy metal oxides (German OS No. 2,208,568).